New Orleans - Day 9

Pastor's Portion: I'm sitting in the New Orleans airport waiting for the flight to Houston and then home. Yesterday was bittersweet. It was a great day, but also our last day. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Gathering, but especially sharing that time with our young people. On Saturday, we practiced Peace and spent time in the interaction center. Our troops dominated the volleyball court. From the center, we explored New Orleans, went down Bourbon St., ate authentic New Orleans food in the French District, explored Jackson Square, enjoyed street performers, strolled along the Mississippi, and visited the stores on Canal Street. In the evening, we made every effort to hit the floor at the Super Dome, but had to settle for the first tier. The gold bands got to enter a half hour early, so there was no room in the inn. The closing was filled with energy, a compelling speaker, and great music. Tina will fill you in on the details. When we got back to the hotel, we had our closing time together. This is something we did every night. I asked three questions. What did they take away from the day? What did they take away from the whole experience? What covenant did they intend to make as we return to New Jersey? I was deeply impacted by their responses, but I will let them share their answers when we return. I'm going to guess that you will notice a difference in them and in the life of the church. The whole group is deeply grateful to the congregation for helping to make this experience possible. I am excited to share my own stories when I return. I am sure I have material for more than a few sermons. Tina's Turn: As I write this, I sit in the New Orleans airport, ready to head home. I can't believe it's already time to leave! Yesterday was an amazing day. The morning's theme was Peacemaking, which brought us to the Convention Center. Most of the group got t-shirts from the store (Lutheran Swag!). Char, Emma, Katie, Sue, and Tom went on the giant swing. After we were done with the center, we made our way to Bourbon Street, which was--to say the least--interesting. We passed Jackson Square, where we stopped for a few minutes to watch a dance show on the street. Then, we went through Canal Street, where we shopped for souvenirs. Most of us got a chance to try NOLA favorites, like beignets and pralines. Next, we headed to the Superdome for our last event. The main speaker was a friend of Pastor Lee (the pastor of Living Waters). She spoke about all of the struggles she has experienced and how she has overcome them. At the end, Swithfoot, a mainstream Christian band performed several songs. Everyone was really excited! It's hard to believe we're already on our way home, and that the gathering is over. I think it's reenergized all of about our faith; all I hope is that we can bring at energy back home with us. This may be the end of my blog, but I am sure it's not the last that you'll hear about our trip! Peace, Tina and Pastor

New Orleans - Day 8

Pastor's Portion: You would think a day of rain, and I mean rain, would dampen spirits, but that was not the case. The focus today was on discipleship and we spent the morning with the rest of the New Jersey delegation. There are 560 of us. We all the chance to wear our red New Jersey T-shirts. During our time of reflection, the group said the rain helped us focus on what is important. After our Synod meeting, we went over to the convention center to turn is our check for the 100 Well Challenge. Our gift of $5,000 was the largest they have received from one congregation so far. As you can imagine, the volunteers were very excited. The block party was canceled because of the weather, but a traditional Louisiana dinner was served under a shelter. We all had plenty to eat. Our time in the Super Dome was amazing. We were able to sit closer to the main stage. The sight and sound, at times, was overwhelming. Once again, we heard three amazing speakers, including Leymah Gbowee, the 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate from Liberia. We also had the chance to see ourselves on the big screen in a video we created during the day and sent into the central office. To make the evening complete, I got a text from Bishop Hanson. Here is what he had to say. "Pastor Mark, you have the most awesome youth group in the world. Bishop Mark Hanson". It was another good, good night. It's hard to imagine that tomorrow is our last day. Our time in New Orleans has been everything I hoped it would be. Tina's Turn: The Bishop recognized our youth group's awesomeness today! (insert brief victory dance here). Today's theme was discipleship, which we were practicing in the form of a Synodical meeting. As many of us pointed out, although it went a bit longer than we might have liked, it brought our experiences here into a more relatable context. While the time in the Superdome is amazing, the fact remains that it will be hard to bring that back with us. Today's discussion helped us think of ways in which we will be able to do that. We had planned to visit the French Quarter today, which we rethought based on the huge thunder storm rolling through. Instead, we visited the Convention Center again. We returned to the hotel in time to have a block party, which was complicated by the rain. It was moved under an overhang, though, and by eating in shifts we managed to make it happen. Next came tonight's Superdome visit. The speaker was a Liberian woman who is a Nobel Peace Laureate. The amazing part of her speech was how impressed she (an extremely impressive woman) seemed by us. For me, the most impactful portion of the night was the last song, a rendition of Halleluia which included giant white balloons which were sent into the air. It was a beautiful moment. It's hard to believe how fast the time has passed. Tomorrow is already our last day! I know it will be great!

New Orleans - Day 7

Pastor's Portion: I'm sitting in the lobby of the hotel at 6:30 a.m. reflecting on what happened yesterday. The days are going so quickly. Thursday was our day to practice justice. We left by buses at 6:30 in the morning and did deconstruction in Hofmann Triangle. So many of the homes were abandoned following Katrina. People lost everything and could not afford to stay. Deconstruction allows you to salvage what still has value. It was amazing to see all the people who greeted us with thanks and honking horns. Everyone remembers those people in orange from three years ago. On returning from the work site, we went over to othe convention center to the interaction zone. We played a little volleyball, took in a few exhibits, and enjoyed the sights and sounds. We'll be bringing our donation for the 100 wells on Saturday. The Super Dome was rocking in the evening and, once again, we were on the floor. The energy had not diminished. Two young women spoke of their own calling by God and their willingness to follow tht voice. Shane Calibone brought the house down with his presentation on the risks of practicing discipleship. His talk was a mixture of humor and challenge grounded in the scripture. In our time of reflection at the end of the day, their was a real sense of commitment by our young people to take the risk when they get home. Tina will be adding her insights and expired later today. Tina's Turn: This morning, we (rather unenthusiasticaly) woke up at 5 am for our service project. After a send off service, we boarded buses to leave for the work site. When we arrived, we found that our work had already been done. We were then assigned to a different project (deconstructing a house in order to save as much building material as possible), where far too many people were working on the same work. It was hard to find spaces for everyone to help. While we were glad to be assisting, it was frustrating to to have so little work. After our service, we made our way to the Convention Center, which is a huge building with everything from an exhibit on divisions between people to zip lining. At the Super Dome, we had another awesome night of music and speakers. The main speaker was a man who spoke of his experiences as a reformer working for the rights of the poor. He was a fascinating and funny speaker! For community life, we all made our way to a nearby hotel with dances and performances. It was very crowded but still fun. I'll be blogging later tonight about day 8. Keep reading!

New Orleans - Day 6+

Pastor's Portion Tina will be adding her section later. We didn't blog last night for two reasons. One, we needed Internet access and two, they wouldn't let us out of the Super Dome. There was a huge thunder storm. We just got back from our service event and finally have a little bit of free time. Yesterday was everything you expected a registration to be when you have 34,000 people. There's training to attend, forms to turn in, and lines to wait in. We finished around 3:30. We tried to secure dinner, but were limited to soft pretzels and a few hot dogs. The food plaza outside the Super Dome still needs work. However, we were in time to get on the floor for the openning evening. As the song says, it was going to be a good, good night. There was an hour of music and dancing prior to the night's celebration. Our kids joined the fun and were up on the big screen more than a few times. The house band was amazing and you spent the entire time up on your feet singing, dancing, or just swaying to the music. The openning speaker, Rev. Yeheil Curry, spoke of us all being a large bowl of gumbo where everyone is welcome. The Bishop of the Texas-Louisiana, Rev. Michael Rinehart, joined Bishop Mark Hanson of the ELCA in welcoming us to the Gsthering. However, the person not to be missed was Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber. Maybe it's because she has sleeve tattoos and reportly curses like a truck driver. The more compelling reason is her personal grasp of the Gospel that has so shaped her life from substance abuse and animosity of the faith to a transformed and committed life. If you can, go the the ELCA Youth Gathering website and watch her video, if they have it posted. After her presentation, the weather rolled in and we weren't allowed to leave. Even when they let us go, it was still raining. Since the hotel is a mile away, we got a little wet. We held our closing worship in the lobby and went to our bedrooms to crash. We knew we had an early day the next day, so everyone wanted a little extra sleep. I will leave off here and let Tina fill in the other details. We'll cover today either later tonight or early tomorrow. Tina's Turn: I'm late on this post for many reasons (mostly the fact that I woke up at 5 am this Morning!). Today, we left Peace early in the morning to arrive at NOLA by late morning. We spent a while waiting for the advisers to return from the airport (other advisers had to drop off their rental vehicles), and after that we went to the River Walk to explore. We saw a few interesting shops and the outside of the aquarium. At the super dome, we had many amazing speakers. The main speaker was a woman who (despite many doubts) is a Lutheran pastor. She has many tattoos and is definitely not the stereotypical Pastor, but she was fascinating and an amazing speaker. For day 7, we practiced justice through service. I don't have time to go into more detail at the moment (it's bed time, finally!) but I will give more tomorrow! Tonight, at the super dome,

New Orleans - Day 5

Tina's Turn: The service work for today divided the Zion delegation. The younger group stayed at Peace Lutheran to he with a one-day Vacation Bible School. We had several stations for the kids, including an art project for the local nursing home, tie-dyed fish made of coffee filters, a music station run by Pastor, and a science station based on shells. The older group, on the other hand, went to Restore. They worked on moving building materials, including bricks, slate, and terra cotta. After our service work, we all reunited at Peace to enjoy the water slide that had been rented for VBS, and joined us in enjoying the chance to cool off. Next came dinner, which included corn (which somehow been infused with butter in a way that I had never believed possible) and ice cream bars. Tomorrow morning, we will leave for the Youth Gathering in New Orleans. I can't wait to report about it! Pastor's Portion: In addition to the work our troops from Zion did, we sent groups to Habitat for Humanity and Community Concern. They spent their time laying foundations and stacking shelves. I led the word detail at the Center painting sheds and water proofing the fire escape. Was happy to escape the heat by leading the music station for VBS. I thoroughly enjoyed the songs of Zion to the children of Peace. They learned Peace Like A River, The Banner Song, Father Abraham, and several others. The skies remain beautiful, but the heat and humidity are amazing. The temperature gauge in Tom's car read 122 degrees. I didn't know it went that high. Of course, it was seating in the sun. The food has been great. We had pulled pork along with the corn on the cob. I also enjoyed the leftover peach cobbler. The ice cream was a big hit with the kids. The center is now officially full. We have over 150 people from Colorado, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Conneticutt. Our young people are already making new friends. Everyone is excited about heading over to New Orleans. The Garhering officially begins tomorrow night. We'll report again after the openning service. Peace, Tina and Pastor

New Orleans - Day 4

Tina's Turn: This morning, we woke up early to start the service portion of our trip. The Zion youth was working at the house of Hugh Johnson and his son (also Hugh Johnson), where we were doing yard work. We cleared off the back patio–where we discovered a goldfish pond, several new animals, and many other remnants of Katrina's flooding–and old flower beds. Both Hughs were very nice and willing to tell their stories of the flooding, which came up to chest height and destroyed their home. Afterwords, we all raced to be first to the showers and wash off the grime! Dinner tonight was rice and beans, with homemade bread pudding from one of Peace Lutheran's members. Tonight, Peace held a Rock 'n Roll service with lots of great praise music and dancing. It was the most enthusiastic rendition of When The Saints Go Marching In that I've ever heard! Tommorrow, we will be splitting up; the younger group will be working with VBS, while the other group will be working with Restore (a group like Habitat for Humanity). Keep tuned to hear about! Pastor's Portion: While the Zion crew was at the Johnson home, I was working with the group that stayed with at Peace Lutheran to do all the needed work. The list was extensive. We painted the front of the church, weeded the gardens, waterproofed the sheds, fences, and children's play equipment, power washed all the travel homes that are used, cleaned the inside of the center, and reroofed the shed. The kids worked hard and the place looks great. The congregation was deeply grateful. I loved hearing all the stories from the groups returning from their work sites. They were in the soup kitchen, worked at the home of a parishioner, sorted and stacked goods at ReStore, and, of course, made a big difference at the Johnson house. The patio that our young people uncovered has a special place in the heart of Hugh Johnson Sr. The patio was his wife's, who died of cancer following Katrina. They lost so much, and then he lost his wife. His health and sorrow kept him from taking care of his property. Restoring the patio held special meaning. He and his son were deeply grateful. Hugh Johnson's story and the role our young people have now played in it is the reason we serve. The dinner of rice and red beans was delicious and the bread pudding was amazing. We are eating well. The worship that followed was joyful and heart felt. There's nothing like dancing with your young people during the service. Tomorrow will be another busy day. Tina and I will keep you posted. Peace, Tina and Pastor

New Orleans - Day 3

Tina's Turn: The first thing I noticed that's different about church here is that people leave the pews and (*collective gasp*) dance! We attended the praise service this morning, where we got to listen to Peace Lutheran's own praise band. After lunch, we embarked on an exciting swamp tour (which Carl was quite excited about!) We saw several alligators, which the tour guide lured within feet of our boats using hot dogs and marshmallows. The swamps were, surprisingly, mosquito-free, thanks to the presence of dragonflies. We also saw a snake, which the tour guide spotted from far away in a moving boat (and took us getting much closer and about 10 minutes of pointing it out to find). Later, we had dinner and, after a short meeting, were treated to a special performance of My Aunt Came Back by Pastor. We made it (almost) to the end! Then, some of us escaped to a frozen yogurt store where Tom and Megan got free yogurt for correctly guessing its weight. The new people arrived from Colorado today. The Jennisons are excited! Tomorrow, we are off to work on fixing up a local's back yard. I can't wait! Pastor's Portion: It was wonderful to worship with the good people of Peace again. They were delighted to have us back. They are planning a special Louisiana dinner for us on Monday night. In talking with the vice-president of the congregation, he let me know they are still talking about us in New Orleans from our last visit. Our orange T-shirts were everywhere and they will be again. The swamp tour was a hit. Alligators, turtles, and herrons for everyone. There is a beauty that is difficult to describe. Hopefully the pictures we are bringing back will give everyone an idea of what we experienced. Dinner included homemade peach cobbler and more spaghetti than we could possibly eat. You never leave the table hungry. Leading the group in My Aunt Came Back was a special request by a person from another ciongregation. How could I say no. We almost made it to the end before collapsing into laughter. From our meeting, we set out to meet and greet the good people from Colorado. The day is coming to a close. The story will continue tomorrow. Peace, Tina and Pastor

New Orleans - Day 2

Tina's Turn: Today came as a special treat to the nerds in our group (myself included!) when we visited the NASA Stennis Science Center just over the Mississippi border. We were given a bus tour of the grounds used to test rocket engines, after which we visited the connected museum. It contained everything from thermal cameras to lettuce growing without soil to an interactive history of aeronautics. After a thorough exploration, we left for Bay St. Louis, a small, nearby town on the Gulf of Mexico. The water was shallow and calm enough to allow us to wade out several hundred feet without difficulty. We were even invited back by a local! We quickly explored the town, and then had a traditionally Southern dinner including Po Boys and fried oyster platters. As you most likely are aware, last night was not the most restful (I didn't get to sleep until after 3), so I'll be on my way soon! Keep tuned tomorrow for updates on the Swamp Tour.... Pastor's Portion: Like Tina, I'm looking forward to a better night of sleep. The flight was delayed for over an hour as we waited for the pilots to arrive from Boston. We arrived in Slidell around 2:30 am local time. Fortunately, our day didn't officially start until 11:30 am. The trip to the Stennis Science Center was a great beginning. The center just opened in April. The troops marveled that I was their age when we landed on the moon. 1969 seems so long ago. Bay St. Louis has all the charm of a deeply southern city. The warmth of the people is amazing. We were given invitations to return, offers for dinners, stories and histories shared, and suggestions for dining. With the advice of the locals, we found a beautiful restaurant overlooking the gulf. I thoroughly enjoyed the fried oysters. I haven't had them in years. As usual, I couldn't be prouder of our young people. In the words of last week's sermon. They are engaged and are looking forward to working this coming Monday and Tuesday. We worship with Peace tomorrow morning. Of course, we will be wearing our NJ ties. The swamps await us after lunch. I'm sure there will be more stories to tell when we report tomorrow night. Continue to keep us and all who will be attending the Youth Gathering in you thoughts and prayers. Peace, Tina and Pastor

New Orleans - Day 1

The Book Of Faith is on a short hiatus while I attend the Youth Gathering in New Orleans. For the next 10 days, I will be reporting from Louisiana. Tina Dornbusch will be helping me in this effort. At the present, we are sitting in the Newark airport waiting for our flight. If everything goes according to plan, we will be leaving at 9:30. We'll arrive in New Orleans at midnight and then drive to Slidell. The adventure begins. We'll keep you posted. You keep us in your prayers.